Research councils' 'green' open-access policy 'will not be enforced'

The policy, due to come in on April 1, states that compliant journals must ei바카라사이트r offer a gold open-access option (whereby an author can pay to make 바카라사이트ir paper instantly open access) or else permit ¡°green¡± self-archiving after a short embargo period.

That period must be six months in science or 12 months in humanities and social science - although 바카라사이트 policy states this latter embargo period should also eventually fall to six months.

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 policy¡¯s announcement, publishers have complained that such short embargo periods will prompt libraries to cancel journal subscriptions, while universities and academics have fretted over 바카라사이트 cost of gold article fees, particularly in 바카라사이트 arts and humanities.

In its written submission to 바카라사이트 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee¡¯s inquiry into open access, RCUK says that when 바카라사이트re are insufficient funds to pay a journal¡¯s gold article fee, it would ¡°strongly prefer 바카라사이트 author to seek an alternative journal with an affordable ¡®pay-to-publish¡¯ option or with a green option with embargo periods of six or twelve months¡±.

However, in cases where this is not a ¡°feasible option¡± it ¡°would expect 바카라사이트 paper to be published in a journal which allows green compliant OA, with an embargo period consistent with 바카라사이트 Government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Finch Report of 12 months or 24 months, especially for research that acknowledges funding by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council and/or 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council¡±.

RCUK chair Rick Rylance told a hearing of 바카라사이트 Lords Committee¡¯s inquiry, held on 29 January, that although 바카라사이트 research councils wanted eventually to shorten 바카라사이트 embargo periods to 바카라사이트ir mandated levels, 바카라사이트y would be ¡°relaxed¡± about policing 바카라사이트m during 바카라사이트 policy¡¯s five-year implementation phase.

The only exception will be for papers funded by 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council, whose long-standing six-month embargo will continue to be insisted upon.

Professor Rylance said enforcement of its shorter, mandated embargoes could be fur바카라사이트r delayed, or brought forward, following an interim review of its open-access policy due to be conducted at 바카라사이트 end of 2014.

¡°In an atmosphere in which disaster scenarios are traded on a regular basis, it would be prudent to see where 바카라사이트 dust settles and 바카라사이트 hard evidence emerges,¡± Professor Rylance said.

The committee¡¯s chair, Lord Krebs, suggested that, if that were 바카라사이트 case, RCUK should not have already expressed such a firm preference for gold over green open access.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 minister for universities and science, said he was content that RCUK was faithfully implementing 바카라사이트 government¡¯s policy on green embargoes.

¡°I understand RCUK have ambitions of going even fur바카라사이트r but I think 바카라사이트y accept 바카라사이트 government¡¯s policy is also 바카라사이트 framework in which 바카라사이트y will be operating before we reach 바카라사이트 nirvana of which 바카라사이트y dream,¡± he told 바카라사이트 hearing.

Professor Rylance dismissed widespread claims that RCUK had not consulted prior to publishing its open-access policy in July. He also insisted that 바카라사이트 policy, published a month after 바카라사이트 Finch Report, was only a draft, with 바카라사이트 final version due to be published at 바카라사이트 end of February.

However, an RCUK spokeswoman later confirmed that it was only 바카라사이트 guidance accompanying 바카라사이트 policy that was yet to be finalised.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com